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A wide choice of topics covered from the dawn of history right up to present days . Many of these have a wider relevance than purely within the context of Strathearn . The author's viewpoint often is at variance with the accepted opinions espoused elsewhere eg The Jacobite Uprisings and The Reformation .

The Episcopal Church in Crieff - A Long Established Part of the Community

Crieff and indeed Strathearn was very much an Episcopalian stronghold up to and indeed after the so called “Glorious Revolution “of 1688/1689 which saw the demise of James Vll and the succession of William of Orange and his Queen Mary.

To appreciate and understand something of the complexities
and attitudes of the times is fundamental to passing judgement on events. Apart
from the ever present political intrigue amongst the politically powerful in
the land, there had been the religious conflict of the 17th century with the “killing
times “of the 1680s bringing with it the persecution of the Presbyterians
followed abruptly by what has been termed the Revolution of 1688/1689 which brought
the Protestant William of Orange and his Queen Mary to the throne of the united
kingdoms. Here in Strathearn, the
problems in the parish church had mirrored the situation in the country at large.
The minister was David Drummond an MA of St Andrew’s University and a son of
James Drummond, the fifth Laird of Milnab. David was from records an astute individual.
He had succeeded to the local lands of Kincardine and Trytoun and had purchased
the lands of Callander near Barvick and with it the benefits of the teinds (a
form of rent) which supplemented his stipend . Although Drummond had supported
the National Covenant in 1638 with its declaration of Presbyterian convictions
and resistance to Episcopacy, he had supported the Royalist cause during the
Civil War for which he was deposed from his ministry by the General Assembly of
the Kirk. In fact their powers were such that Drummond continued to administer
to his flock in Crieff as well as draw his stipend before eventually
relinquishing his charge in 1658.

The local conflict was to continue with the appointment of
Gilbert Murray as successor to Drummond. Like Drummond, Murray was from the
same background as Drummond being related to the Murrays of Ochtertyre. He was
immediately in conflict with the Presbytery when it was averred that he was in
collusion with his predecessor Drummond and that the two were in fact sharing
the stipend between them ! Murray refused to appear to be questioned about “the
scandalous action “and seemed to spend more time adapting his religious
affiliations to the mood of the day. From being initially a staunch
Presbyterian he became an Episcopalian but was allowed to continue his ministry!

The Presbyterian Kirk here in Strathearn found itself struggling
to ensure that all good citizens and true adhere to the newly established
reformed Church. William Drummond was minister in Crieff. On appointment he quickly
nailed his colours to the mast and made no bones the fact that he was a
convinced Episcopalian. No doubt to rub salt into the wounds of the Presbytery
he introduced forms of worship which were an anathema to the traditional Kirk. The
Lord’s Prayer was used in worship, the Apostles’ Creed was repeated at baptisms
and the Doxology was sung by the congregation. In 1689 the minister Gilbert
Murray was deposed by an irate Kirk ministry for reading part of Psalm 118
after the Jacobite victory at Killiecrankie: “This is the day God made, in it
we’ll joy triumphantly!”

In 1690 Episcopacy
was overthrown and the Presbyterian form of worship was formally re introduced
with the Westminster Confession adopted as the Confession of the Church. For a
period of 9 years the turbulent charge of the Crieff Parish Church lay vacant
until in 1699 when along came yet another Drummond!

John Drummond unlike his immediate predecessors had been
educated at Glasgow University. His was a conformity to the established kirk
and despite a flirtation with what was to become the first of the Secessionist
groups (this caused him to be disciplined by the Presbytery), he stayed in
charge in Crieff for some 55 years including the period of the first Jacobite uprising.
It was John Drummond who wrote the account of the burning of Crieff. His and
local Church attitudes towards the Stewart dynasty can be discerned from the
records of the time. Minutes refer to a “horrid abuse committed by some persons
in the town of Crieff, by their drinking King James’ health publicly at the
Cross and abusing several inhabitants in the town.” Mr Drummond was requested
to draw up a list of offenders for the attention of the Queen‘s Advocate The
regenerated kirk was determined to exert its authority on one and all. A
Session minute is indicative of strict discipline they wished to exert on the
local populous particularly in relation to the Sabbath. It notes “the frequent
profanation of the Lord’s Day by unnecessary walking in the fields, idle talking,
bearing of water, taking in of kail and the like.” Elders were asked to “take
strict notice” of such infringements, with a view to discipline.

This was the atmosphere that prevailed in this part of Strathearn.
During the most part of the 17th century there was clearly a strong local
support for the Episcopalian attitude and ipso facto the Jacobite cause .This
was no doubt affected somewhat by the “ Glorious Revolution “ and the
subsequent clamp downs on attitude and civic discipline by the sentinels of a
more Calvinistic kirk both locally and further afield in Strathearn.

The Episcopal Church maintained its local power base in
Muthill where most of the landed families subscribed to its membership.

I have written elsewhere in these Strathearn Local History
Blogs of the burnings of the Strathearn towns and villages during the 1714/1715
Jacobite Rising. As noted above, it was the Crieff minister John Drummond, a
somewhat fanatical adherent of the Kirk, who wrote the account of the Crieff
“Burnings “ which has become the accepted version of events
to many to this day . From an historical perspective , it is
clear that the “ Burnings “ were
a scorched earth tactic
deployed by the somewhat
incompetent Jacobite general, the Earl
of Mar aka “ Bobbing John ”. He had ordered a retreat from Sheriffmuir to Perth
after the battle despite the fact that the Jacobite faction had held the upper
hand for most of the day! The accounts were all written by the Presbyterian
Ministers of the various places. These were later collated by the Maitland Club
in the 1840s and published. They were transcribed and reprinted in various
books of the times such as Porteous and the Annals of Auchterarder. What is not
generally reported is the original preface. The Chairman of the Club at that
time was the incumbent Duke of Argyll whose ancestor led the Government forces
at Sheriffmuir. This in itself reflects in the academic and historical nature
of the reporting. The passage of time, some one hundred and twenty five years,
since the event ensures that it is a record of the reporting of the day. The
preface, which has been greatly ignored in previous accounts, emphasised the
reasoning behind the burnings, the scorched earth policy and the dire need of
the Jacobites to prevent supplies in the depth of a cruel winter following into
Hanoverian hands. It particularly draws attention to the bias of the
contemporary reporters namely that of the local Presbyterian ministers. Undoubtedly,
the outcome of the 1714/1715 and subsequent 1745 Risings saw the strengthening
of the position of the Established Kirk and rapid diminishing of the influence
of the Catholic and Episcopal churches in many parts of Scotland and Strathearn
in particular.

It was virtually a century later in 1846 when the Rev Alex
Lendrum, incumbent of St James’, Muthill, launched a project to build an
Episcopal Church in Crieff, consecrated in 1848 in the name of St Michael and
All Angels. Subscribers included Queen Adelaide, W.E. Gladstone, the
Archbishops of Canterbury and Armagh and the Bishops of London and Gloucester.
The building was located in Lodge Street or Lodge Brae as it was formerly known . It is still there and currently exists a the " Blue Flax Tea Room " . Within 14 years there was a falling out between Mr Lendrum and the Bishop of St
Andrews, Bishop Wordsworth. Mr Lendrum resigned in 1862 and boarded up the
church, which soon fell into a state of disrepair. Forced to worship elsewhere,
the congregation raised the money to build another church on the site of the
present St Columba’s to hold about 200 people.

Crieff was growing rapidly and a much larger church was
needed. In 1877 the second St Columba’s was built and consecrated, the money
being raised by Sir Patrick Keith Murray of Ochtertyre House. He also provided
endowments to meet the feu duty and to secure part of the incumbent’s stipend,
making it a condition that an equal sum should be found by the congregation or
from other sources. In addition he gave the graveyard in Ochtertyre grounds, which
belong absolutely to the Church. The attractive “new “building was by the 1980s
beginning to show serious signs of fabric decay. An independent survey carried out
by Perth surveyors Bell Ingram highlighted an alarming number of faults including
problems with the tower. It was decided to demolish the building and this was carried
out in the mid-1980s and replaced with the somewhat more functional church that
stands today.

I have heard on a number of occasions of St Columba’s being referred to as the “ “ English Church “ , something
that has no doubt
been influenced by the fact that
over the years many of the members of the congregation had been born
and brought up south of the Border in the Anglican faith . It is quite evident
that this anomaly does not stand as correct .The Episcopal Church in Scotland is
very much part of our religious
fabric as shown above and should be recognised as such !

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